In a defiant speech on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Israel will continue its war against Hamas until victory, emphasizing that no external entity, including the International Court of Justice, will impede their efforts. Netanyahu’s remarks came in response to the recent hearings at The Hague, where the court examined South Africa’s allegations of Israeli genocide against Palestinians—a charge Israel has vehemently rejected as libelous and hypocritical. Netanyahu specifically mentioned that neither The Hague nor what he referred to as the “axis of evil,” including Iran and its allied militias, will hinder Israel’s pursuit of its military objectives in the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
The case before the world court is expected to go on for years, but a ruling on interim steps could come within weeks. Court rulings are binding but difficult to enforce. Netanyahu made clear that Israel would ignore orders to halt the fighting, potentially deepening its isolation.
Israel has been under growing international pressure to end the war, which has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza and led to widespread suffering in the besieged enclave, but has so far been shielded by U.S. diplomatic and military support.
Israel argues that ending the war means victory for Hamas, the Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israel’s destruction. a defiant speech
The war was triggered by a deadly Oct. 7 attack in which Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians. About 250 more were taken hostage, and while some have been released or confirmed dead, more than half are believed to still be in captivity. Sunday marks 100 days of fighting.